The highest-grossing tour in history has finally arrived in Europe as Taylor Swift kicked off her European dates with four nights in Paris. A fifth of the audience has come from the United States, according to the venue where she is performing.

Paris

Taylor Swift's European tour dates have commenced with a sequence of performances in Paris, marking the beginning of the European leg of the highest-grossing tour in history. The tour kicked off with four nights in the French capital, where a significant proportion of the audience, a fifth, hailed from the United States. This interest has significantly impacted local economies, echoing the tour's substantial financial effect in the U.S. last year.

According to the La Defense Arena, where Swift is performing, the Paris concerts are expected to attract 42,000 attendees each night. The presence of Swift fans, or "Swifties" as they are affectionately known, is anticipated to boost the local economy, with sectors such as hospitality, dining, and retail expected to benefit. This phenomenon follows research indicating the tour's contribution of over $5 billion to the U.S. economy last year, with total impacts potentially reaching up to $10 billion when including indirect sales.

The increase in tourists has led to significant economic benefits in cities across Europe. In Stockholm, for example, hotel capacities are being stretched, with about 120,000 people traveling to the city for Swift's show, creating a significant demand for approximately 40,000 hotel rooms. Similarly, Lyon and Warsaw report significant increases in hotel occupancy rates, exceeding 80% and 90% respectively, on show nights. Vienna also experienced a 40% hike in booking rates compared to the same period last year, showcasing the extensive reach of Swift's tour across the continent.

Despite the high costs associated with attending the concerts, including premium ticket prices and travel expenses, Swift's fans remain undeterred. Their eagerness and willingness to support their favorite artist underscore the tour's unparalleled appeal and impact on both the music industry and the cities fortunate enough to host the performances.



Taylor Swift European dates kick off in Paris

She sings that the best people in life are free, but seeing this megastar comes at a cost. With a Taylor Swift trip to Paris expected to bring in five times as many US luxury travellers as the Olympics and VIP tickets costing some 600 euros, it's estimated that 42,000 people will attend each of her four shows in Paris and that one in five of the audience is coming from the United States, according to the La Defence Arena where she performs from Thursday. And with them comes plane tickets, hotel nights and expenses. Restaurants, bakeries, museums and merchandising are all expected to benefit from the Swift effect, which last year exceeded $5 billion for the US economy and potentially up to $10 billion when factoring in indirect sales, according to research groups. Now it's Europe's turn. In Sweden, fans are already waiting. But the catch-22, there's not enough capacity to host them all. The hotel costs in Stockholm are skyrocketing this weekend in May, and the reason is quite simple. In the Stockholm region, we have approximately 40,000 hotel rooms, approximately 80,000 beds. And as I said earlier, approximately 120,000 people will be travelling to Stockholm for the weekend, so we are out of room. In Lyon, the local tourism office said hotel occupancy rates for the show nights are over 80%, up from the average 30 to 40%. In Warsaw, where she performs on August 2nd, some 90% of accommodation is full on booking.com. And Vienna's booking rates were 40% higher than the same time last year. But regardless of the cost, across all of the 18 cities on the Europe tour, Swifties remain eager and ready for it.

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